Portable display-case.



PATENTED APR. 24, 1906.

J. W. SHAW.

PORTABLE DISPLAY CASE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 21. 1905llllllll!IIVIIIII/IIIIIIIIllllllllllllllfllll/J/lIll!!! PVJTNESSES: g

INVENTOR,

Ja/m W/mzz A TTORNE ys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 24, 1906.

Application filed December 21,1905. Serial No. 292,782.

To all "whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN WV. SHAW, a citizen of the United States,residing at Humboldt, in the county of Humboldt and State of Iowa, haveinvented a new and useful Portable Display-Case, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to traveling bags, satchels, and the like, andhas for its object to provide an improved device of this character whichis particularly arranged for carrying samples and is constructed in sucha manner as to be conveniently unfolded for the purpose of displayingthe samples in an effective manner without necessitating the removalthereof from the case.

In constructing the present case it is proposed to have the same made upof sections which are successively connected so as to enable theconvenient unfolding without separation thereof, whereby the sectionsmay be refolded into compact form to present the appearance of anordinary suit-case, whereby the invention is embodied in a form forconvenience in carrying the same as well as for convenience indisplaying the samples.

\Vith these and other objects in view the present invention consists inthe combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter morefully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularlypointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes inthe form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within thescope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing anyof the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of one of the cases ofthe present invention open in position to display its contents. Fig. 2is a cross-sectional view of the case closed, the manner of successivelyunfolding the sections of the case being illustrated by dotted lines.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in bothfigures of the drawings.

As hereinbefore indicated, the present case has the general appearanceof what is commonly known as a suit-case and includes a maincase-section 1, which is closed throughout its outer side, top andbottom, and opposite ends, while its inner side is open through theentire area thereof. The bottom of this main case-section is extendedlaterally, as at 2, for a distance substantially equal to the width ofthe bottom and the main case-sec tion and has short upstanding outer andend walls 3 and 4. The corners of the main casesection are provided withshields 5 of any material in the usual manner, and a suitable handle 6is provided upon the top of the case.

The space between the extended bottom of the main case-section and thetop thereof is filled out by a supplemental section 7, which has arelatively narrow bottom 8 and a wider top 9, the ends 10 of thesupplemental section having the same width as the top 9, while the innerside of the section is open. The outer edge of the bottom of the section7 is swung upon the upper edge of the base extension 2 in any suitablemanner-for instance, by hinges, one of which has been indicated at 11 inFig. 2 of the drawings. The section 7 is proportioned so that its top 9comes into the same plane with the top of the main section 1 when thecase is closed and is provided with a lock 12 for engagement with akeeper 13 upon the top of the section 1, so as to lock the case whenclosed. Supplemental latches (not shown) are intended to be providedupon the top of the section 7, so as to engage keepers l i, provided onthe top of the main section 1. The lock and the latches may be of anyconventional form, and it is not deemed necessary to illustrate anyspecific form of these devices.

The inner open side of the section 7 is closed when the case is closedby means of a double tray, including a back 15, which is hinged, as at16, to the inner edge of the top 9 of the section 7, so as to fold intothe section when the latter is closed and to swing out of the sectionwhen the case is open. A walled compartment 17 is carried by the innerside of this back and extends from the free end of the back toward thehinged end and terminates short of said hinged end. The outer side ofthis compartment is provided with a closure 18, which is hinged to theouter end of the compartment, as at 19. The compartment 17 is subdividedtransversely by partitions 20 whenever desired. As best indicated inFig. 1, it will be noted that the compartment 17 terminates short of oneend of the back 15, so as to accommodate another compartment 21, whichis somewhat narrower than the com artment 17 The cover or lid 19 servesfor 0th compartments 17 and 21, and one end is notched, as at 22, so asto cover the compartment 21 only and expose the space between thecompartment 21 and the hinged edge of the back 15. U on the outer sideof the back 15 there is a wa led compartment 23, which terminates shortof the free end of the back 15 and also short of the hinged edgethereof. This compartment has a fixed outer wall portion 24 extendingfor about one half of the width of the com partment, and the remaininghalf of the compartment is closed by a lid or cover 25, hinged to thewall 24, as at 26.

With the case closed, as in Fig. 2, and its several compartments filledwith samples, as shown in Fig. 1, the case-section 7 is swung outward,as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, after which the composite trayformed by the compartments 17 and 23 is swung outwardly until thesection 7 and the tray rest against the table or other support uponwhich the case stands, whereby the open sides of the main case-section1, the supplemental section 10, and the compartment 17 will beunobstructed and a clear view may be had of the contents of theseelements, whereby the samples may be effectually displayed withoutremoving any of them from the case. In folding the case the cover 19 isfirst swung over the compartment 17, and then the tray is swung inwardlyupon its hinges 16 into the case-section 10, whereby the open sides ofthe case-section 10 and the compartment 17 are mutually closed, afterwhich the ease-section 7 is swung into the main section, which therebyfolds the case into its closed condition. When closed, the compositetray bears against the samples in the case-section 1 and preventslooseness thereof, when the case is closed.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that the device ofthe present invention has the appearance of an ordinary suit-case whenclosed and may be conveniently unfolded or opened without disconnectingany of its sections, so as to display the goods contained thereinwithout necessitating the removal of the goods. Furthermore, thecase-sections may be conveniently folded without requiring particularcare to prevent displacement of the goods, for the reason that thesuccessive folding of the sections promptly closes the same, andtherefore prevents displacement of the goods when the sections are beingfolded.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. Adisplay-case comprising a main section which is open throughout one sideand provided with a base extension at the open side and rigidlyconnected to the main section, a supplemental section hinged to thebase-section to fold thereagainst and close the case, a tray hinged tothe top of the supplemental section and constituting a closure thereto,a supplemental case-section hingedv to the base extension andconstituting a closure for the op en side of the main case-section,

a tray including a back hinged to the top of the supplemental sectionand provided with a compartment upon each side thereof, and hingedclosures for the two compartments, the tray capable of being folded uponthe supplemental section to form a closure therefor, and thesupplemental section with the tray therein capable of being foldedagainst the main case-section to close the latter.

3. A display-case comprising a main casesection which is open throughoutits inner side and is provided with a base extension at the open side ofthe section, a supplemental section hinged to the base-section with itsbottom narrower than its top, a back member hinged to the free edge ofthe top of the supplemental section, a walled compartment carried by oneside of the back and terminating short of the hinged edge thereof, saidcompartment lying between the back and the supplemental section when thecase is closed, a hinged cover for said compartment, another compartmentcarried by the other side of the back and terminating short of thehinged and free edges of the back, and a hinged cover for the lattercompartment.

4:. A display-case comprising a base, an upright section rigidly carriedby the base and 0 en at its inner side, a handle upon the top of theupright section, a supplemental upright section hinged to the base toswing outwardly from the main section and normally closing said mainsection, and locking means to detachably connect the supplementalsection with the main section in the closed condition of the case.

5. A display-case comprising a base, two upright sections carriedthereby and open at their inner sides, one section being rigid upon thebase and provided upon its top with a handle, the other section beinghinged to the base to fold outwardly therefrom, a tray hinged to the topof the foldable section and constituting a closure for the open sidethereof, and a hinged cover for the open side of the tray.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN 1 W. SHAW. lVitnesses A. G. LELAND, W. W. STERNS.

